Monthly Archives: December 2011

1/1 announcements

Leave a reply

January 1, 2012
The Feast of Circumcision in the Flesh of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ
and the Feast of St. Basil the Great
 
Colossians 2:8-12: The holy apostle Paul reminds the Colossians that their circumcision is not one made with hands according to the law, but one of the heart, through baptism.
 
Luke 2:20-21,40-51: In the gospel reading for today we hear of the Christ Child being separated from the Theotokos and Joseph, when He remained behind in the Temple, amazing the teachers with His questions and understanding.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  Having learned the joyful message of the Resurrection from the angel, the women Disciples cast from them their parental condemnation, and proudly broke the news to the Disciples, saying, Death has been spoiled.  Christ God is risen, granting the world Great Mercy.
 
Troparion of St. Basil:  Thy sound hath gone forth into all the earth, which hath received thy word.  Thereby thou hast divinely taught the Faith; thou hast made manifest the nature of all things that be; thou hast adorned the ways of man.  O namesake of the royal priesthood, our righteous Father Basil, intercede with Christ God that our souls be saved.
 
Troparion of the Circumcision:   Our human form hast Thou taken on Thyself without change, O greatly-compassionate Master, though being God by nature; fulfilling the Law, Thou willingly receives circumcision in the flesh, that Thou mightiest end the shadow and roll away the veil of our sinful passions.  Glory be to Thy goodness unto us.  Glory be to Thy compassion.  Glory, O Word, to Thine inexpressible condescension.
 
Kontakion of the Circumcision:  The Master of all endureth humiliation and is circumcised for the iniquities of mankind; for he is good, and granteth salvation to the world. And in the highest the High Priest of the Creator, clothed with light, the divine initiate of Christ, Basil, rejoiceth.
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, January 1   (Circumcision of our Lord; Feast of St. Basil the Great)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
 
Monday, January 2   
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, January 3   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, January 4  
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, January 5   (Strict Fast Day)
6:00 a.m.         — Royal Hours
11:30 a.m.       — Men’s Lunch
6:00 p.m.         — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
 
Friday, January 6   (Theophany)      
    This Feast Day is one of the greatest days of the Christian year.  In English, we are accustomed to hearing this Feast Day called “Epiphany,” a word which means “manifestation” or “appearance.”  On this day, the Orthodox Church celebrates the Baptism of Jesus Christ in the Jordan River by St. John the Baptist (he is called “the Baptist” because he baptized Christ).  Epiphany is also called “Theophany” which means “God shows Himself to us.”  The importance of this Feast Day lies in the fact that for the first time the Holy Trinity was revealed for all mankind to know and believe (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit).  When Jesus Christ was baptized in the River Jordan, a voice was heard from the heavens above saying, “This is my Son in whom I am well pleased.”  The Father whose voice was heard from the heavens was God.  The white dove was the symbol of the Holy Spirit which descended upon Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  Thus, we have the Holy Trinity being revealed to all that day, almost 2000 years ago.  This is why we call this day the day of illumination (light) and manifestation (appearance).  The Holy Trinity made its appearance, and we have been illuminated by this wonderful truth and blessing.  On this day we have the traditional blessing of the waters.  Since the waters of the Jordan were blessed in the presence of Jesus Christ, it is a source of Divine Grace and blessing, and we bless ourselves and our homes with the waters of the “Sanctification Service” which is held during the Epiphany Services.
    Theophany Day is a day of illumination and sanctification.  Let us pledge ourselves to a greater participation in the sacramental life of the Church of Christ.  When the Priest blesses our homes, let us all pray that the blessing of the Theophany Season be with us throughout the year and may our homes be sanctified with our prayers, Christian living and spiritual direction in our lifetime.
 
NO Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, January 7    (Synaxis of the Forerunner)
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers with Litia
                                    and Artoklasia
 
Sunday, January 8   (Circumcision of our Lord; Feast of St. Basil the Great)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
            4:00 p.m.         — Outdoor Blessing of the Waters at the Reservoir
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Hendersons for the Divine Liturgy today and the Artoklasia Bread was offered last evening by the Algoods for the Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and the Feast of St. Basil the Great.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         January 1                              Henderson                               Henderson
         January 5 (p.m.)                   Algood                                          
                  Feast of Theophany
         January 8                              Katool                                      Woods
         January 15                            Schelver                                   POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                                      (set-up: Algood/R. Root)
         January 22                            Morris                                      Schelver
         January 29                            Jones                                       Fahmy
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
January 1                           Mildred Morris                      Col. 2:8-12                     356
January 5 (p.m.)                Kh. Sharon Meadows           Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7        361
January 8                           Phillip Lasseter                     Eph. 4:7-13                     364
January 15                         Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             Col. 3:4-11                     233
January 22                         Brenda Baker                        I Tim. 4:9-15                  252
January 29                         Tom Willingham                   II Cor. 6:16-7:1               173
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers. 
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and their family; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Dorin and Carolina Lavric and Victor (Carolina’s brother); Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister).
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Memory Eternal!  Our thoughts and prayers are Warren and Sandi Strain and their family in the falling asleep of Warren’s mother Quida Strain last week-end.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    The Feast of Theophany will be celebrated with Royal Hours on Thursday morning, January 5th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.  Orthros and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated that evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
*    The Annual Outdoor Blessing of the Waters at the Ross Barnett Reservoir will take place on Sunday, January 8th at Old Trace Park, beginning at 4:00 p.m.  Afterwards all those who wish will enjoy a meal at Cock of the Walk restaurant.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival – Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    The Youth Group is planning to hold their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, February 26th.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Please be sure to turn in your pledge letters as soon as possible.  If you did not receive one in the recent weeks, please let Kh. Sharon know.
 
We welcome Jeff and Anca Basinger and Anca’s son Andrei Anicescu to St. Peter.  (Anca and Andrei are from Romania.)  Their address is
                        340 Arbor Drive  #2296
                        Ridgeland, MS  39157
                        Cell phones:     Jeff      937-707-0668
                                                Anca    937-707-0763
                        e-mail: ancabasinger@gmail.com 
 
Windows into Heaven:  We are looking for a volunteer to take charge of the small bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall that was used in the past to display icons, hymns and information about the major feasts that occur during the year.  The packets of material needed for the bulletin board are available in the church office and only need to be changed for each of the feasts as they occur.  If you are interested in taking on this responsibility, please let Fr. John know.
 
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Fasting Discipline for January
From December 25 through January 4th there is no abstinence of any sort and all types of food are permitted.  The forefeast of Theophany (January 5th) is observed as a strict fast day (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil).  The traditional fasting is observed on the remaining Wednesdays and Fridays of the month. 
 
Major Commemorations for January
January 1         Feast of the Circumcision of our Lord and feastday of St. Basil the Great
January 6         Theophany
January 7         Synaxis of the Forerunner
January 11       Theodosios the Head of Manasteries
January 18       Athanasios and Cyril of Alexandria
January 20       Euthymios the Great
January 25       Gregory the Theologian
January 27       John Chrysostom
January 31       Cyros and John the Unmercenary Healers
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival on Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Happy Birthdays in January:
         January 1               —    Dn. Richard Root
         January 5               —    Sarah Anne Milnor
         January 10             —    Georgia Buchanan
         January 11             —    Nicholas Henderson
         January 12             —    Cheryl Pigott
         January 13             —    Nader Dabit
         January 19             —    Saliba (Sam) Dabit
         January 20             —    Alfred Katool
         January 22             —    Tatiana Lavric
         January 24             —    Oliver Yeatts
         January 29             —    Michelle Pigott
         January 30             —    Chris Dansereau
 
Happy Anniversaries in January:
         January 10             —    Bob and Georgia Buchanan (1987)
         January 17             —    Chris and Rebecca Dansereau (2009)
         January 19             —    Ramzi and Jean Kafoury (2003)
 
Quotable:  “When taking part in the Mysteries of the Church, Orthodox Christians do not experience mental exercise, nor are their emotions of any particular significance.  Participation in the Mysteries is an encounter with God in a very intimate and direct way.  As nearly as I can put it into words, such an encounter brings thinking and feeling to a halt, albeit briefly.  As can happen when looking at something extremely beautiful, or when finding oneself in a life-or-death situation, thought and feeling are momentarily stilled, and something much more profound is engaged.  The encounter penetrates through thinking and feeling and goes to the very being of the person taking part—to that fathomless state of awareness that exists, yet lies hidden and dormant, in all human beings.  In Greek, this is what the Fathers called the nous.  In this book, it will be also called the ‘heart.'”
                                                Archimandrite Meletios Webber, Bread and Water, Wine and
                                                             Oil: an Orthodox Christian Experience of God
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, January 8, 2012 (Sunday after Theophany)
 
         Scripture:                                Ephesians 4:7-13; Matthew 4:12-17
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Phillip Lasseter
         Prosphora:                              Katools
         Coffee Hour:                           Woods

12/25 announcements

Leave a reply

December 25, 2011
The Nativity According to the Flesh
of our Lord and God Jesus Christ
 
    “. . . the Word of the Father is Himself divine, that all things that are owe their being to His will and power, and that it is through Him that the good Father gives order to creation, by Him that all things are moved, and through Him that they receive their being . . . He has been manifested in human body for this reason only, out of love and goodness of the Father, for the salvation of us men.”
 
Galatians 4:4-7: We are reminded that in the fullness of time God sent forth His Son to be born of a woman, under the law in order to redeem those who were under the law.  Because the child born to the Holy Virgin was in fact God by nature, she is rightly called the mother of God (Theotokos).  Our Lord was born under the law, by fulfilling the law as an infant, being circumcised on the eighth day and presented in the Temple forty days after His birth.  In doing this, God fulfilled His promise to Abraham, paying ransom, as it were, to Himself, according to His own vow.
 
Matthew 2:1-12:  From the Gospel of Matthew we learn of the visit by the Magi to the Christ Child.
 
Troparion of the Nativity: Thy Nativity, O Christ our God, hath given rise to the light of knowledge in the world; for they that worshiped the stars did learn therefrom to worship thee, O Sun of justice, and to know that from the east of the Highest thou didst come; O Lord, glory to thee.

Kontakion of Nativity:  Today the Virgin giveth birth to the Transcendent in essence; the earth offereth a cave to the unapproachable One; the angels with the shepherds glorify him; and the Magi with the star travel on their way; for a new child hath been born for our sakes, God before the ages.
 
 
CALENDAR
There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th
 
Sunday, December 25   (Nativity of our Lord)
            NO SERVICES           
 
Monday, December 26   (Synaxis of the Theotokos)
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, December 27   (Protomartyr Stephen)
            NO Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, December 28  
NO Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Daily Vespers
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, December 29   
NO Daily Orthros
 
Friday, December 30             
NO Royal Hours
 
Saturday, December 31
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers with Litia
                                    and Artoklasia
 
Sunday, January 1   (Circumcision of our Lord; Feast of St. Basil the Great)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
 
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Dn. Richard Roots for the Divine Liturgy today.  

Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         December 24 (p.m.)              R. Root                                    Sandi Strain/Mary Ellis
         December 31 (p.m.)                                      (Artoklasia Bread for the Circumcision of our
                                                                                 Lord and the feast of St. Basil)
         January 1                              Henderson                               Henderson
         January 5 (p.m.)                   Algood                                          
                  Feast of Theophany
         January 8                              Katool                                      Woods
         January 15                            Schelver                                   POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                                      (set-up: Algood/R. Root)
         January 22                            Morris                                      Schelver
         January 29                            Jones                                       Fahmy
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
December 24                     Warren Strain                     Gal. 4:4-7                        351
January 1                           Mildred Morris                  Col. 2:8-12                      356
January 5 (p.m.)                Kh. Sharon Meadows      Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7        361
January 8                           Phillip Lasseter                  TBA
January 15                         Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver          TBA
January 22                         Brenda Baker                      TBA
January 29                         Tom Willingham                 TBA
 
Father John will be out of town from December 26-31, visiting family and friends.  Please contact Father Leo or Father James if you have need of a priest.
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers. 

Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Quida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean; Sophie Dansereau (as she recovers from surgery), Rebecca and Chris; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Dorin and Carolina Lavric and Victor (Carolina’s brother); Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister).
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    As is our custom, we will have Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia to celebrate the Circumcision of our Lord and the feast of St. Basil the Great on Saturday evening, December 31st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    The Feast of Theophany will be celebrated with Royal Hours on Thursday morning, January 5th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.  Orthros and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated that evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
*    The Annual Outdoor Blessing of the Waters at the Ross Barnett Reservoir will take place on Sunday, January 8th at Old Trace Park, beginning at 4:00 p.m.  Afterwards all those who wish will enjoy a meal at Cock of the Walk restaurant.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival – Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    The Youth Group is planning to hold their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, February 26th.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Memory Eternal!  Our thoughts and prayers are with Sam and Anne Habeeb and their family in the falling asleep of Sam’s father George Habeeb last week-end.  Mr. Habeeb was a faithful member of St. George Orthodox Church in Vicksburg and a friend to many here at St. Peter’s.
 
Please be sure to turn in your pledge letters as soon as possible.  If you did not receive one in the recent weeks, please let Kh. Sharon know.

We welcome Jeff and Anca Basinger and Anca’s son Andrei Anicescu to St. Peter.  (Anca and Andrei are from Romania.)  Their address is
                        340 Arbor Drive  #2296
                        Ridgeland, MS  39157
                        Cell phones:     Jeff      937-707-0668
                                                Anca    937-707-0763
                        e-mail: ancabasinger@gmail.com 
 
Windows into Heaven:  We are looking for a volunteer to take charge of the small bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall that was used in the past to display icons, hymns and information about the major feasts that occur during the year.  The packets of material needed for the bulletin board are available in the church office and only need to be changed for each of the feasts as they occur.  If you are interested in taking on this responsibility, please let Fr. John know.
 
St. Nicholas Tithe:  Our custom here at St. Peter’s is to take up a special collection each year at the Feast of St. Nicholas.  The money that is collected is then used to help someone in need.  If you would like to contribute to this fund and have not yet, you may still do so.  Be sure to mark on your check that the donation is for the St. Nicholas Fund.
 
Fasting Discipline for December
There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th.
 
Major Commemorations for December
December 25   Nativity of our Lord
December 26   Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27   Protomartyr Stephen
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival on Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
  
Happy Birthdays in December/January:
         December 27         —    Ben Skirtech
                                       —    Warren Strain
                                       —    Nicholas Zouboukos (#12!)
         December 28         —    Sheryl Chamblee
         January 1               —    Dn. Richard Root
         January 5               —    Sarah Anne Milnor
         January 10             —    Georgia Buchanan
         January 11             —    Nicholas Henderson
         January 12             —    Cheryl Pigott
         January 13             —    Nader Dabit
         January 19             —    Saliba (Sam) Dabit
         January 20             —    Alfred Katool
         January 22             —    Tatiana Lavric
         January 24             —    Oliver Yeatts
         January 29             —    Michelle Pigott
         January 30             —    Chris Dansereau
 
Happy Anniversaries in January:
         January 10             —    Bob and Georgia Buchanan (1987)
         January 17             —    Chris and Rebecca Dansereau (2009)
         January 19             —    Ramzi and Jean Kafoury (2003)
 
 
Quotable:  “To speakers of English, it may seem coincidental that the word ‘mystery’ is used in the Orthodox Church to signify what most Christians in the West refer to as ‘sacraments.’  However, one of the most astounding transformations a human person can undergo happens when an enquirer realizes that the word ‘mystery’ in all its dimensions is exactly what is experienced in Orthodoxy by the person who enters into and participates in the life of God in the life of the Church.  The ‘Holy Mysteries’ are precisely what they say they are.”
                                                Archimandrite. Meletios Webber, Bread and Water, Wine and
                                                             Oil: an Orthodox Christian Experience of God
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, January 1, 2012 (Circumcision of our Lord; Feast of St. Basil)
 
         Scripture:                              Colossians 2:8-12;  Luke 2:20-21, 40-51
         Celebrant:                             Father John
         Epistle Reader:                     Mildred Morris
         Prosphora:                            Henderson
         Coffee Hour:                         Henderson

12/18 announcements

Leave a reply

December 18, 2011
Sunday before the Nativity
 
Hebrews 11:9-10, 17-23, 32-40:  Reading from Hebrews we hear the Apostle tell us of the faith of Abra­ham and other saints of ancient times who endured hardships and death and yet still did great things because of their faith.
 
Matthew 1:1-25:  In the Gospel we hear the genealogy of Jesus Christ, and of how Joseph was visited by an angel of God who told him of the child that Mary bore in her womb.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  When thou, O immortal Life, didst humble thyself unto death, then didst thou destroy death by the brightness of thy Godhead; and when thou didst raise the bowels of the earth, then all the heavenly powers exclaimed, O Christ, thou art the Giver of life!  Glory to thee, O our God!
 
Troparion of the Fathers:  Great are the accomplishments of faith; for the three holy youths rejoiced in the fountain of flames as though at waters of rest.  And the Prophet Daniel appeared a shepherd to the lions as though they were sheep.  Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ God, have mercy upon us.
 
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.

Kontakion Preparatory for Nativity:  Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages.  Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
 
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, December 18   (Sunday before the Nativity)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
Monday, December 19   
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, December 20   (Ignatius of Antioch, the God-bearer)
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, December 21  
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, December 22   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, December 23             
7:00 a.m.         — Royal Hours
 
Saturday, December 24
10:00 p.m.       — Orthros followed by Divine Liturgy
 
Sunday, December 25   (Nativity of our Lord)
            NO SERVICES           
 
 
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Woods for the Divine Liturgy today.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         December 18                        Wood                                       Meadows/Lasseter/Karen
         December 24 (p.m.)              R. Root                                    Sandi Strain/Mary Ellis
         December 31 (p.m.)                                      (Artoklasia Bread for the Circumcision of our
                                                                                 Lord and the feast of St. Basil)
         January 1                              Henderson                               R. Root
         January 5 (p.m.)                   Algood                                          
                  Feast of Theophany
         January 8                              Katool                                      Woods
         January 15                            Schelver                                   POT LUCK MEAL
                                                                                                      (set-up: Algood/Henderson)
         January 22                            Morris                                      Schelver
         January 29                            Jones                                       Fahmy
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
December 11                     Sh. Charlotte Algood            Col. 5:4-11                     233
December 18                     Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40       348
December 24                     Warren Strain                        Gal. 4:4-7                       351
January 1                           Mildred Morris                      TBA
January 5 (p.m.)                Kh. Sharon Meadows           Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7        361
January 8                           Phillip Lasseter                     TBA
January 15                         Kh. Be’Be’ Schelver             TBA
January 22                         Brenda Baker                        TBA
January 29                         Tom Willingham                   TBA
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.  

Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Quida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean; Sophie Dansereau (as she recovers from surgery), Rebecca and Chris; Georgia Buchanan, George Johns (Georgia’s grandson) and his family; Dorin and Carolina Lavric and Victor (Carolina’s brother); Mary Greene (Lee and Kh. Sharon’s sister).
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be sure to schedule a time for Confession with your priest during the Fast of the Nativity.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord with Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, December 24th.  Royal Hours for the Feast of the Nativity will be held at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, December 23rd.
*    As is our custom, we will have Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia to celebrate the Circumcision of our Lord and the feast of St. Basil the Great on Saturday evening, December 31st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    The Feast of Theophany will be celebrated with Royal Hours on Thursday morning, January 5th, beginning at 6:00 a.m.  Orthros and Divine Liturgy will be celebrated that evening, beginning at 6:00 p.m.
*    The Annual Blessing of the Waters at the Ross Barnett Reservoir will take place on Sunday, January 8th at Old Trace Park, beginning at 4:00 p.m.  Afterwards all those who wish will enjoy a meal at Cock of the Walk restaurant.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival – Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    The Youth Group is planning to hold their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, February 26th.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
We welcome Jeff and Anca Basinger and Anca’s son Andrei Anicescu to St. Peter.  (Anca and Andrei are from Romania.)  Their address is
                        340 Arbor Drive  #2296
                        Ridgeland, MS  39157
                        Cell phones:     Jeff      937-707-0668
                                                Anca    937-707-0763
                        e-mail: ancabasinger@gmail.com 
 
Windows into Heaven:  We are looking for a volunteer to take charge of the small bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall that was used in the past to display icons, hymns and information about the major feasts that occur during the year.  The packets of material needed for the bulletin board are available in the church office and only need to be changed for each of the feasts as they occur.  We would like to have the bulletin board up before the Feast of the Nativity.  If you are interested in taking on this responsibility, please let Fr. John know.
 
Please be sure to turn in your pledge letters as soon as possible.  If you did not receive one in the recent weeks, please let Kh. Sharon know.
 
St. Nicholas Tithe:  Our custom here at St. Peter’s is to take up a special collection each year at the Feast of St. Nicholas.  The money that is collected is then used to help someone in need.  If you would like to contribute to this fund and have not yet, you may still do so.  Be sure to mark on your check that the donation is for the St. Nicholas Fund.
 
Fasting Discipline for December
In December the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed each day of the week until the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.  There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th.
 
Major Commemorations for December
December 20   God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch
December 25   Nativity of our Lord
December 26   Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27   Protomartyr Stephen
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival on Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Happy Birthdays in December:
         December 1           —    Christina Katool
         December 2           —    Jim Roehner
         December 3           —    Stephanie Baker
                                       —    Athena Zouboukos
         December 4           —    Brenda Baker
         December 8           —    Ben Brock
                                       —    Sam Habeeb
                                       —    Michael Surratt
         December 11         —    Sh. Charlotte Algood
         December 12         —    Jenna Skirtech
         December 20         —    Steve Chamblee
                                       —    Anna Freundt
         December 21         —    Caroline Halley
         December 27         —    Ben Skirtech
                                       —    Warren Strain
                                       —    Nicholas Zouboukos (#12!)
         December 28         —    Sheryl Chamblee
 
Happy Anniversary on December 21st  to Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson (#37!)
 
Quotable:  “One of the most noticeable features of Eastern Christianity is that it is this word ‘mystery,’ which describes those actions of God that have a specific, decisive, and eternal significance in the lives of those who take part in them.  Everyday substances—oil, water, bread, wine—together with simple actions—offering, blessing, washing, anointing—are the means by which God intervenes in our lives.  These interventions, in which God does all the work and our only contribution is to be prepared and present, color and shape our lives beyond the extent that would be possible in any human encounter.  Moreover, unlike most human interactions, they do not take us from a place of ignorance to a place of knowledge.  Rather, the Mysteries lead us deeper and deeper into the Mystery which is the presence of God Himself.”
                                                Archimandrite. Meletios Webber, Bread and Water, Wine and
                                                             Oil: an Orthodox Christian Experience of God
 
 
Worship:         Saturday evening, December 24, 2011 (Nativity of our Lord)
 
         Scripture:                                Galatians 4:4-7; Matthew 2:1-12
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Warren Strain
         Prosphora:                              R. Roots
         Coffee Hour:                           Mary Ellis/Sandi Strain

12/11 announcements

Leave a reply

December 11, 2011
Twenty-ninth Sunday after Pentecost;
Sunday of the Forefathers
 
Colossians 3:4-11:  As we read in Colossians, we see St Paul encouraging the Church to practice the virtues of compassion, kindness, and humility.  He reminds us that love is the bond which holds us together and calls us to let the peace  of Christ to rule us.
 
Luke 14:16-24:  In the parable of the man who gave a dinner we see that not all who are called to dine will come and that the consequences of refusing the invitation are great.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  The stone being sealed by the Jews, and thy pure body being guarded by the soldiers, thou didst arise on the third day, O Saviour, granting life to the world.  Wherefore, the heavenly powers acclaimed thee, O Giver of life, crying, Glory to thy Resurrection, O Christ! Glory to thy kingdom! Glory to thy gracious providence, O only Lover of mankind.
 
Troparion of the Forefathers: Thou hast justified by faith the ancient forefathers and through them thou hast gone before and betrothed unto thyself the Church of the Gentiles.  Let the saints, therefore, take pride in glory; for from their seed sprouted forth a noble fruit, and she it was who gavest birth to thee without seed.  Wherefore, by their pleadings, O Christ God, save our souls.
  
Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
Kontakion Preparatory for Nativity:  Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages.  Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
 
CALENDAR

Sunday, December 11   
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
 
Monday, December 12   (St. Spyridon the Wonderworker)
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
           
Tuesday, December 13   
            6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Wednesday, December 14  
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, December 15   (Hieromrtyr Eleftherios)
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, December 16             
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, December 17
7:30 a.m.         — Bible Study with Breakfast
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
Sunday, December 18   (Sunday before the Nativity)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Bakers for the Divine Liturgy today and the Artoklasia was offered by the Hendersons for the Feast of St. Nicholas last Monday evening.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         December 11                        Bakers                                     Ellis/Zouboukos
         December 18                        Woods                                     Meadows/Lasseters/Karen
         December 24 (p.m.)              R. Roots                                   Sandi Strain/Mary Ellis
         December 31 (p.m.)                                      (Artoklasia Bread for the Circumcision of our
                                                                                 Lord and the feast of St. Basil)
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
December 11                     Sh. Charlotte Algood            Col. 5:4-11                     233
December 18                     Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40       348
December 24                     Warren Strain                        Gal. 4:4-7                       351
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.   
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Quida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean; Sophie Dansereau (as she recovers from surgery), Rebecca and Chris.
 
Please remember Dorin and Carolina Lavric and Carolina’s brother Victor in your prayers.  Victor was injured in a car accident in the Ukraine and remains in a coma.
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be sure to schedule a time for Confession with your priest during the Fast of the Nativity.
 
Come one; come all to the 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Bake-off to be held at the church on Saturday, December 17th from 1-3 p.m.  (Jennifer assures all that there will be no discrimination due to age, gender or being artistically challenged.)  Parents will help little ones through stations and then have a chance to decorate some themselves.  Snacks, drinks and activities will also be provided.  Please let Jennifer or Emily know by December 16th if you will be attending.  (Parents:  the children will be working with peanut butter, chocolate and red food dye in case your child has any of these allergies.)
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    During the Fast of the Nativity, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord with Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, December 24th.  Royal Hours for the Feast of the Nativity will be held at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, December 23rd.
*    As is our custom, we will have Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia to celebrate the Circumcision of our Lord and the feast of St. Basil the Great on Sunday evening, December 31st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival – Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    The Youth Group is planning to hold their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, February 26th.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Volunteers for Village Confections:  We will be working at Village Confections (the bakery that benefits the Christmas Village ministry to mothers with unplanned pregnancies) on Saturday evening, December 17th.  If you would like to volunteer, please let Joanna or Anastasia know.

Windows into Heaven:  We are looking for a volunteer to take charge of the small bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall that was used in the past to display icons, hymns and information about the major feasts that occur during the year.  The packets of material needed for the bulletin board are available in the church office and only need to be changed for each of the feasts as they occur.  We would like to have the bulletin board up before the Feast of the Nativity.  If you are interested in taking on this responsibility, please let Fr. John know.
 
Fasting Discipline for December
In December the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed each day of the week until the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.  There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th.
 
Major Commemorations for December
December 12   Spyridon the Wonder-worker
December 15   Hieromartyr Eleutherios
December 20   God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch
December 25   Nativity of our Lord
December 26   Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27   Protomartyr Stephen
 
Happy Birthdays in December:
         December 1           —    Christina Katool
         December 2           —    Jim Roehner
         December 3           —    Stephanie Baker
                                       —    Athena Zouboukos
         December 4           —    Brenda Baker
         December 8           —    Ben Brock
                                       —    Sam Habeeb
                                       —    Michael Surratt
         December 11         —    Sh. Charlotte Algood
         December 12         —    Jenna Skirtech
         December 20         —    Steve Chamblee
                                       —    Anna Freundt
         December 21         —    Caroline Halley
         December 27         —    Ben Skirtech
                                       —    Warren Strain
                                       —    Nicholas Zouboukos (#12!)
         December 28         —    Sheryl Chamblee
 
Happy Anniversary on December 21st  to Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson (#37!)

If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival on Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Quotable:         “The word ‘mystery’ can be quite baffling.  Like all words, it is a pointer, but in this particular instance it is pointing at something that cannot be described, something that lies beyond the place where the mind can make sense of things.
                             Yet, this word ‘mystery’—together with its many levels of meaning and its profound significance—lies at the heart of the Eastern Orthodox experience of God.  Those who come to Orthodoxy from another Christian tradition or from a Western educational background will do well to come to terms with this word before they proceed to make the most of the immense treasures of faith and practice Orthodoxy has to offer.
                              In everyday English, the word ‘mystery’ implies a puzzle to be solved, a conundrum to be unraveled.  The idea is that if you think about a problem long enough, you will find a solution.  In the East, on the other hand, a mystery is an area where the human mind cannot go, where the heart alone makes sense—not by knowing, but by being.  The Greek word mysterion leads you into a sense of ‘not-knowing’ or ‘not-understanding’ and leaves you there.  Having arrived, all you can do is gaze and wonder; there is nothing to solve.”
                                                Archimandrite. Meletios Webber, Bread and Water, Wine and Oil: an Orthodox Christian Experience of God
 
 
Worship:         Sunday, December 18, 2011 (Sunday before the Nativity)
 
         Scripture:                               Hebrews 11:9-10; 17:23, 32-40; Luke
         Celebrant:                              Father John
         Epistle Reader:                      Kh. Sharon  Meadows
         Prosphora:                             Woods
         Coffee Hour:                           Karen Cooper/Meadows/Lasseters

12/4 announcements

Leave a reply

December 4, 2011
Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost;
Holy Great-martyr Barbara and St. John of Damascus
 
Galatians 3:23-29;4:1-5:  In this reading from Galatians we hear St. Paul explain that prior to the com­ing of Christ, we were under the Law and hence divided, but now that Christ has come we are justified by faith in Christ and have become one, belonging to Christ.  Therefore, we are no longer under bond­age to the Law and the world, but are now free as children of God.
 
Luke 13:10-17:  By healing a woman held in bondage to an illness for eighteen years, our Lord dem­onstrates that the Law does not prohibit righteous action on the Sabbath.
 
Troparion of the Resurrection:  O compassionate One, thou didst descend from the heights; thou didst submit to the three-day burial, that thou might deliver us from passion.  Thou art our Life and our Resurrection, O Lord, glory to thee.
 
Troparion of St. Barbara:  Let us honor the all-revered Saint Barbara; for she did demolish the snares of the adversary and escaped from them like a bird, by the help of the Cross as with a weapon.
 
Troparion of St. John of Damascus:  Thou hast shown thyself, O God-inspired John, as a guide to the Orthodox Faith, a teacher of true worship and purity, O star of the universe and companion of the Bishops, O wise one.  Through thy light thou hast enlightened all, O harp of the Spirit.  Therefore, intercede with Christ God to save our souls.

Troparion of the Chains of St. Peter: O Holy Apostle, Peter, thou dost preside over the Apostles by the precious chains which thou didst bear.  We venerate them with faith and beseech thee that by thine intercessions we be granted the great mercy.
 
Kontakion Preparatory for Nativity:  Today the Virgin comes unto the cave to give birth in an ineffable manner to the Word before the ages.  Rejoice, therefore, O universe, when you hear, and glorify with the angels and the shepherds him who shall appear by his own will as a new babe, being God before the ages.
 
CALENDAR
 
Sunday, December 4   (Twenty-fifth Sunday after Pentecost; Great-martyr Barbara
And St. John of Damascus)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            12:00 p.m.       — Ladies of St. Peter
            5:30 p.m.         — Youth Group
 
Monday, December 5   (St. Sava the Sanctified)
            Office Closed  — Father John’s Day Off
            6:30 p.m.         — Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia
           
Tuesday, December 6   (St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker)
            6:00 a.m.         — Festal Orthros
 
Wednesday, December 7  
5:00 p.m.         — Catechism Class
6:30 p.m.         — Advent Paraklesis
7:30 p.m.         — Choir Practice
 
Thursday, December 8   
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Friday, December 9   (Conception of the Theotokos)          
6:00 a.m.         — Daily Orthros
 
Saturday, December 10
5:45 p.m.         — Ninth Hour followed by Great Vespers
 
 
Sunday, December 11   (Sunday of the Forefathers)
            8:50 a.m.         — Orthros
            9:00 a.m.         — Christian Education
            10:00 a.m.       — Divine Liturgy
            1:00 p.m.         — Young Adults
  
SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENTS
 
Eucharist Bread …was offered by the Fahmys for the Divine Liturgy today.  
 
Please be reminded of the following:
Be very careful with the Blessed Bread when you take it after communion.  Because this bread has been blessed, we should take care not to let crumbs fall on the floor.  Parents, especially, please help your children to choose a small piece and treat it carefully.
         Also, at the end of the liturgy, maintain a prayerful disposition during the veneration of the cross as the prayers of thanksgiving after communion are still underway.  Please exchange your greetings with each other in the Fellowship Hall during Coffee Hour.
 
Eucharist Bread and Coffee Hour Schedule:
                                                      Eucharist Bread                     Coffee Hour
         December 4                          Fahmys                                    Joneses
         December 5 (p.m.)                Hendersons (Artoklasia Bread for St. Nicholas)
         December 11                        Bakers                                     Ellis/Zouboukos
         December 18                        Woods                                     Meadows/Lasseters/Karen
         December 24 (p.m.)              R. Roots                                   Sandi Strain/Mary Ellis
         December 31 (p.m.)                                      (Artoklasia Bread for the Circumcision of our
                                                                                 Lord and the feast of St. Basil)
 
Schedule for Epistle Readers – Page numbers refer to the Apostolos (book of the Epistles) located on the front pew.  Please be sure to use this book when you read.
                                          Reader                                 Reading                          Page#
December 4                       Brenda Baker                        Gal. 3:23; 4:1-5              160-161
December 11                     Sh. Charlotte Algood            Col. 5:4-11                     233
December 18                     Kh. Sharon Meadows           Heb. 11:9-10, 32-40       348
December 24                     Warren Strain                        Gal. 4:4-7                       351
 
Please be reminded that the Sacristy/Vestry which is adjacent to and behind the altar in our church is considered by the Orthodox Church to be part of the Sanctuary (Altar area) and should not be entered without the blessing of the priest for a specific purpose.  If you need to speak with a member of the clergy while they are in the Sanctuary, please ask them to come to you in the nave.
 
Please remember Fr. Joseph and Kh. Joanna Bittle and their daughter Abigail in your prayers.  Abigail, who was born prematurely and only recently came home after months in the NICU, has developed meningitis.
 
Please remember the following in your prayers:  Maria Costas; Amy and Michael Surratt and Amy’s family; Tom and Jennifer Skirtech and Jennifer’s mother, Jessamine Hinkson;  Warren and Sandi Strain and Warren’s mother, Ouida Strain; Fr. Leo, Kh. Be’Be’, Stephen and Amy, Justyn and Jeffrey; Steve, Sheryl and Stephen Chamblee; Amy and Brantley Oliver; Aidan Milnor, the Milnor family; Sam and Lamia Dabit; David Turner’s mother Mary Jean.
 
Please continue to pray for the health of His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN.
 
Please be sure to schedule a time for Confession with your priest during the Fast of the Nativity.
 
Congratulations to Joanna Meadows and Jay Davis on the news of their engagement!  The wedding is scheduled for May 19th.
 
Young Adults…Father John will be teaching on the Orthodox perspective in the rearing of children (including discipline) on Saturday, December 11th.  There is a sign-up sheet in the hall outside the nave.  Please be sure to sign-up.  The teaching is open to any who wish to attend.
 
Come one; come all to the 2nd Annual Christmas Cookie Bake-off to be held at the church on Saturday, December 17th from 1-3 p.m.  (Jennifer assures all that there will be no discrimination due to age, gender or being artistically challenged.)  Parents will help little ones through stations and then have a chance to decorate some themselves.  Snacks, drinks and activities will also be provided.  Please let Jennifer or Emily know by December 16th if you will be attending.  (Parents:  the children will be working with peanut butter, chocolate and red food dye in case your child has any of these allergies.)
 
Windows into Heaven:  We are looking for a volunteer to take charge of the small bulletin board in the Fellowship Hall that was used in the past to display icons, hymns and information about the major feasts that occur during the year.  The packets of material needed for the bulletin board are available in the church office and only need to be changed for each of the feasts as they occur.  We would like to have the bulletin board up before the Feast of the Nativity.  If you are interested in taking on this responsibility, please let Fr. John know.
 
Parish Creative Arts Festival:  The Christian Education classes will have a festival to work on their entries for this year’s Creative Arts Festival on Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.  There will be teaching about this year’s conference theme and then time to work on the projects themselves.  A Pizza lunch will be provided afterwards.  Please make plans now for your children to attend.
 
Volunteers for Village Confections:  We will be working at Village Confections (the bakery that benefits the Christmas Village ministry to mothers with unplanned pregnancies) on Friday evening, December 16th.  If you would like to volunteer, please let Joanna or Anastasia know.
 
Breakfast and Bible Study:  we are continuing to meet every 2-3 weeks for Bible Study on Saturday morning at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast. This is open to all who are interested.  Be sure to come and enjoy the fellowship.
 
Calendar Items:
*    The Men of the parish meet for lunch and fellowship on the first Thursday of the month.
*    During the Fast of the Nativity, as is our parish custom, we will celebrate the Advent Paraklesis in place of Daily Vespers on Wednesday evenings, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    The feast day of St. Nicholas the Wonder-worker will be celebrated with Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia TOMORROW evening, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    Father John and Father James are in Pensacola today for the Consecration of St. Andrew the Apostle Antiochian Ortthodox Church.
*    We will celebrate the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord with Orthros and Divine Liturgy beginning at 10:00 p.m. Saturday, December 24th.  Royal Hours for the Feast of the Nativity will be held at 7:00 a.m. on Friday, December 23rd.
*    As is our custom, we will have Great Vespers with Litia and Artoklasia to celebrate the Circumcision of our Lord and the feast of St. Basil the Great on Sunday evening, December 31st, beginning at 6:30 p.m.
*    Parish Creative Arts Festival – Saturday morning, February 4th from 9-12.
*    The Annual Deanery Youth Retreat will be held on February 10-12, 2012 at John W. Kyle State Park in Sardis.  Joel and Sarah Finley will be addressing the topic of the Culture of Dating.  More information will be available as the time draws near.
*    Father Thomas Hopko will be speaking at Holy Resurrection Orthodox Church in Clinton February 14-16, 2012.  More information will be available at a later date.
*    The Youth Group is planning to hold their annual Cheesefare Fundraising Luncheon on Sunday, February 26th.
*    His Grace, Bishop ANTOUN will be here the weekend of May 6, 2012 to help us celebrate our 25th anniversary as a parish.  The planning committee is working very hard to make our celebration a memorable one.  There will be an evening event at the MS Museum of Art on Saturday, May 6th.  Other events are being planned and more information will be available in the coming months.
 
Fasting Discipline for December
In December the traditional fasting (no meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy, wine and oil) is observed each day of the week until the Feast of the Nativity of our Lord.  Note, however, through December 19th there is a katalysis on Tuesdays and Thursdays when wine and oil are permitted, and on Saturdays and Sundays when fish, wine and oil are permitted.  There is no fasting from December 25th through January 4th.

Major Commemorations for December
December 4     Great-martyr Barbara and Father John Damascene
December 5     Sava the Sanctified
December 6     Nicholas of Myra
December 9     Conception of the Theotokos
December 12   Spyridon the Wonder-worker
December 15   Hieromartyr Eleutherios
December 20   God-bearer Ignatius of Antioch
December 25   Nativity of our Lord
December 26   Synaxis of the Theotokos
December 27   Protomartyr Stephen
           
If you are the last to leave the building, please make sure that the heating and cooling unit in the Fellowship Hall is turned off.
 
Happy Anniversary on December 21st  to Fr. John and Kh. Janet Henderson (#37!)
 
Happy Birthdays in December:
         December 1           —    Christina Katool
         December 2           —    Jim Roehner
         December 3           —    Stephanie Baker
                                       —    Athena Zouboukos
         December 4           —    Brenda Baker
         December 8           —    Ben Brock
                                       —    Sam Habeeb
                                       —    Michael Surratt
         December 11         —    Sh. Charlotte Algood
         December 12         —    Jenna Skirtech
         December 20         —    Steve Chamblee
                                       —    Anna Freundt
         December 21         —    Caroline Halley
         December 27         —    Ben Skirtech
                                       —    Warren Strain
                                       —    Nicholas Zouboukos (#12!)
         December 28         —    Sheryl Chamblee
 
Quotable:       “Do not grudge anything to your brother, but do unto him as unto the Lord; especially as you do not know in whom the Lord will come and visit you; be impartial to all, be kind to all, sincere and hospitable.”
                                                                        St. John of Kronstadt
  
Worship:         Sunday, December 11, 2011 (Twenty-ninth Sunday after Pentecost;
Sunday of the Forefathers)
 
         Scripture:                               Colossians 5:4-11; Luke 14:16-24
         Celebrant:                               Father John
         Epistle Reader:                       Sh. Charlotte Algood
         Prosphora:                              Bakers
         Coffee Hour:                           Ellis/Zouboukos